Gene Frenette: Another big crowd bodes well for Jacksonville

Gene Frenette

When Jacksonville sets another record in the Southeast for soccer attendance Saturday night at EverBank Field — where the United States men’s national team faces Nigeria in a World Cup sendoff match — don’t be surprised if it leads to a return engagement in 2018.

After a record 44,438 fans showed up at EverBank for a 5-1 friendly win over Scotland two years ago, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said to me upon leaving a post-match news conference: “Can you arrange to bring all these people to Tampa?”

Two weeks later, only about half that number (23,971) attended a U.S. friendly with Antigua & Barbuda at Raymond James Stadium. Klinsmann and his players notice the reception they get at different venues, which is why a monster-sized crowd Saturday will put Jacksonville in the mix for another World Cup send-off match in four years.

“It’s huge to see that kind of support,” goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. “To have, hopefully, 50,000-plus at this game makes it exciting for everyone.”

The U.S. Soccer Association is no different than any other capitalist major sport. It goes where the money is.

Jacksonville was given a NASL franchise, the Armada, because it has evolved into a legitimate soccer market. If that trend continues, Team USA will keep coming back. …

The Jaguars had only one significant player from the Southeastern Conference, defensive end Jeremy Mincey (Florida), on their roster when the tenure of former GM Gene Smith ended. Projecting the 2014 roster, current GM Dave Caldwell might have no less than 10 players from SEC schools as starters or big contributors. …

When you examine the nuts and bolts of quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s bloated $121 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers, it’s a fair deal. Kaepernick gets financial security, but the team isn’t in salary cap peril if his performance regresses. That’s smart negotiating. …

To all the idiots on social media condemning LeBron James for not playing through cramps in the fourth quarter of the Miami Heat’s Game 1 finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs: That was not the equivalent of Michael Jordan flu. Cramps don’t just weaken the body, they lock it up. …

Did you see the allegations made by ex-North Carolina player Rashad McCants against coach Roy Williams and UNC basketball for putting him in easy classes, rarely showing up, and getting high grades to stay eligible on the 2005 national title team? The uproar would be far greater if a former Kentucky player said the same thing about John Calipari. So, yes, image does matter. …

If heavy favorite California Chrome fails to win the Belmont Stakes, it’s hard for me to think of it as a huge upset. The extra distance in this race is primarily why the last 12 Kentucky Derby/Preakness winners couldn’t complete the Triple Crown.

It's the US Soccer Federation, not Association. This is why a soccer hater should not be writing about soccer. He has only ever ridiculed it. I can't wait to see how the National Basketball League finals turn out.